Skip to main content
Normal View

Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 30 Oct 1969

Vol. 241 No. 13

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Traffic Problems.

20.

asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware of the increasing number of accidents on the Inchicore Road, Dublin, owing to the camber of the road and its dangerous bends; and what action he proposes to take in the matter.

The execution of works to alter the camber of this road or eliminate bends is a matter for Dublin Corporation which is the appropriate road authority. No proposals for works of this nature on this road have been received in my Department.

I am aware of the problems of this road where accidents occur almost daily. There is the problem, for example, of overloaded trucks. This road is not suitable to take trucks. I brought the matter to the attention of the Garda who said they had not the power to deal with it.

The Deputy must put a question.

I shall. I am asking the Minister if he will have the matter examined urgently by Dublin Corporation in order that there will not be further very serious accidents. We have had 15 people injured in one accident and three in another in one week. We are having accidents there at least every week. I would ask the Minister to ask Dublin Corporation to investigate this matter and to put up some warning notices or alter it in some way to prevent these accidents or to take trucks off this bad road.

I shall draw the attention of the corporation to the Deputy's remarks.

21.

asked the Minister for Local Government if Dublin Corporation has adopted the report of Dr. Schaechterle in part or in full, in an effort to prevent traffic disruption such as occurred in the city on Friday last; the cost of implementing the plan; and how the cost will be met.

On 23rd July, in reply to a question, I indicated that traffic planning in Dublin city is primarily a matter for Dublin Corporation. In that reply I indicated at some length what was being done and the constraints and limitations that apply to any line of action. I did this in an effort to remove certain misconceptions but it appears from comments in the press that this was not achieved and accordingly I have again to reply at some length.

I am advised that the traffic disruption on Friday last developed because of the simultaneous occurrence of three incidents at widely separated but critical points of the city's main street system. This was an unusual concatenation of events, but something like it could happen again despite the best of plans. However, it shows that the street system is now operating at a critical level of capacity for a good deal of the working day. From observation Fridays appear to be more difficult than other days. This, and the inevitable jams, will continue as long as very large numbers of persons continue to bring their cars into the central area in a city whose street system is inadequate for such volumes of traffic, never having been designed for it. As I have said before we are all too familiar with the sight of long streams of cars pouring into the city each morning with generally only one or two persons in each car. Most of these cars are left on the streets all day long. One person in a private car occupies for more road space than a passenger in a bus.

I therefore appeal to people who can do so to refrain from bringing their cars into the central area and in particular I would urge commuting motorists to travel by public transport and thus reduce the morning and evening traffic peaks and the daylong obstruction to moving traffic created by parked cars. If they do as I suggest they will not merely save themselves from having to endure the congestion, but they will avoid disrupting the emergency services such as those operated by fire brigade vehicles and ambulances.

As I have indicated previously no single plan can be produced to give a final solution to the traffic problems of Dublin. If such a solution were possible, other countries with far greater resources would have solved the traffic problems of their capital cities long ago. The issue requires continual attention. With the natural increase in the city's population, the growth in economic activity and the increase in prosperity and consequently in the ownership of motor vehicles, the demands on the street system are bound to increase. It is necessary therefore to envisage activity on different fronts—traffic management measures to get better value from the existing streets, a construction programme, for the immediate future, of such priority schemes as can be undertaken with the resources likely to be available in that period, longer term measures involving more ambitious road schemes and possibly other transport arrangements and of course the overall physical planning of the city and its environs. Regional planning also has a part to play.

Continuing studies are likely to be required to develop from time to time the best solutions for these several but related purposes, taking account of conditions as they change. The corporation have carried out a number of studies and will initiate such further studies as they consider appropriate at the proper time. Amongst the studies they have commissioned are two by Dr. Schaechterle, one on the street system, the other on parking. On the basis of the studies undertaken to date a number of steps have been and are being taken. I shall now outline briefly some of the measures decided on.

A committee of senior officials established by the corporation co-ordinates action in relation to traffic in the Dublin area. This committee includes representatives of the corporation and the other Dublin local authorities, the Garda Síochána, CIE and my Department. It has been chiefly concerned with traffic management up to now.

Various traffic control arrangements, including the use of one-way streets and clearways, have been introduced in the centre city and the radials from it. Others are in mind, including the use of linked systems of traffic lights. Parking meters will be introduced shortly; their purpose is to restrict onstreet parking in favour of the shortterm parker and thus afford relief to business traffic and public transport. The corporation are studying the Schaechterle report on parking and here I must put the reminder that parking facilities in the wrong place will merely attract more traffic and add to congestion. In the meantime the corporation have invited development proposals for a scheme to include a multi-storey car park at Bride Street.

As regards street works, the corporation's draft development plan includes a five-year programme of works and recently I advised them of my approval in principle to a proposal for an inner tangent ring, involving an improved road system round the city centre. This is based on a recommendation in Dr. Schaechterle's street plan which the corporation accept in principle as being required to deal with essential traffic under any reasonable street plan. The corporation have not decided on the other major proposals made by Dr. Schaechterle. My approval in principle to the inner tangent ring is without prejudice to the issues that will arise as the corporation work out a detailed design. These issues include those arising on land acquisition, on amenity questions and on the corporation's application for a bridge order for a new bridge just east of Butt bridge, which would form part of the inner tangent ring.

My approval is also subject to the corporation preparing suitable traffic management measures to secure the most efficient use of the central city street system. The corporation have not given me any estimate of the total cost of implementing the Schaechterle recommendations. The estimate which they furnished for the inner tangent ring, including cost of property acquisition is £13,225,000; this they envisaged as being spent over the period 1972-1981. They expect the cost to be met by Road Fund grants. In conveying my approval I had to indicate that the corporation would have to programme the scheme and other approved street works under such Road Fund grants as can be made available to them. I have assured them that in determining future allocations of the overall funds available for road works, due consideration will be given to the essential needs of the Dublin area but at the same time, future allocations must take account of the Government's policy of decentralisation and the encouragement of growth in other regions. It must be recognised that Dublin's traffic problem cannot be solved simply by providing road and parking space for everyone wishing to use his own private car.

To do so would pre-empt practically the whole of the financial resources likely to be available in the foreseeable future. Policy overall must therefore aim at reducing commuter car traffic and encouraging greater use of public transport. Here I must stress that the overall resources available to the nation are not unlimited and that there are demands for other services besides road and transport, services such as housing, health and education.

I trust that what I have said will bring some reality into discussion of Dublin's traffic problem and convince people that there is no ready or magic answer and that for the near future at least congestion can be reduced only by checking the flow of commuter traffic.

Arising out of the Minister's magnificent and most comprehensive answer——

Could we have the answer again?

Not expected from him.

——but excellent all the same.

Yes, indeed.

Perhaps it may sound like oversimplifying the matter but I am told that last Friday night one of the causes for the traffic hold up was the traffic lights. While they operated as usual, they are sometimes rather insensitive. Would the Minister consider putting a traffic pointsman on the major junctions in the inner city area, or else we may have the same thing tomorrow night?

It was the concatenation of events.

The plan which the Minister envisages will come into effect in 1972 and of course the situation will be chaotic before 1972. Has the Minister thought of having consultation with CIE about a link-up between the housing schemes that would cut down the number of buses converging on the city and would he also consider the possibility of an inner circle to which only cars on essential services would be admitted? This of course would be an immediate measure that would help to alleviate the present chaotic conditions.

Those are things that are being and have to be considered.

Top
Share